Criminal Justice News

Friday, August 24, 2012

HSI, local partners seize $18 million in counterfeit contact lenses and merchandise

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Special agents
with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI) and officers from the Federal Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), the San Juan Police Department
(SJPD) and the Puerto Rico Department of Health's Office of Investigations
seized more than $18 million in counterfeit contact lenses and merchandise
during the execution of several search warrants in eight different
municipalities of Puerto Rico.

On Aug. 21, HSI special agents and
partner law enforcement officers worked in teams to execute 17 federal search
warrants at stores in the municipalities of San Juan, Caguas, Añasco, Bayamon,
Ponce, Moca, Isabela and Naranjito, Puerto Rico. They seized 4,000 counterfeit
Fresh Look contact lenses by Novartis, with an estimated manufacturer's retail
price (MSRP) of $200,000, along with 200,000 pieces of counterfeit merchandise
from companies like Coach, Gucci, Ray Ban, Michael Kors, Rolex, Bulgari,
Hublot, Nautica, Tous, Tiffany & Co., and Nike, among others. HSI special
agents seized 25,000 counterfeit watches with an approximate MSRP of more than
$3 million and 200 pairs of sneakers with an approximate MSRP of $32,000. The
total MSRP of seized merchandise was approximately $18 million.

"The illegal importation and sale
of counterfeit goods is a significant problem that affects our economy, impacts
American jobs and innovation, puts the public's health and safety at risk and
at times threatens our national security," said Angel Melendez, acting
special agent in charge for HSI San Juan. "Consumers should know that if
they buy pirated and unlicensed products, they are hurting legitimate
businesses and they may also be facilitating criminal activity."

As the largest investigative arm of the
Department of Homeland Security, HSI plays a leading role in targeting criminal
organizations responsible for producing, smuggling and distributing counterfeit
products. HSI focuses not only on keeping counterfeit products off our streets,
but also on dismantling the criminal organizations behind such illicit
activity.

This investigation was supported by the
HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center)
in Washington. The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government's key weapons in
the fight against criminal counterfeiting/piracy. As a task force, the IPR
Center uses the expertise of its 21 member agencies to share information,
develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations
related to IP theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR
Center protects the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and the war
fighters.

To report IP theft or to learn more
about the IPR Center, visit www.IPRCenter.gov.